It is desirable in various organic environments to provide a reaction vessel which is not degraded in the organic environment and can interact with the organic environment to produce a product which is secreted or released back into the organic environment. For example, it is desirable in diabetic patients to be able to provide a means for producing insulin at a regulated rate in vivo. Other hormonal deficiencies could be treated by the implantation of a reaction vessel able to produce a hormone upon the proper stimulation by an organic stimulator from the hypothalamus. In constructing such a reaction vessel, a housing is required to retain the reactor. The housing must allow entrance of precursors or stimulators and allow the exit of the product made by the stimulated reactor. Further, the reaction vessel must inhibit reaction of itself or the product contained therein with the organic environment. The vessel must prevent degradation of itself and the reactor contained therein. For example, many prior art membranes are degraded in an organic environment.
The reaction vessel must prevent an immune reaction with either the vessel or the contents of the reactor contained therein. Further, the housing containing in the reactor must have structural integrity in the organic environment.
Functionally, the housing must allow passive transport therethrough of precursors or stimulators in one direction and product in the other.
The present invention provides a reaction chamber which is itself inert in an organic environment and further protects the reactor contained therein from the organic environment thereby preventing any immune reaction or enzymatic degradation of the reactor. The subject reaction vessel further allows transport therethrough of precursors and/or stimulants in one direction and product in the other.